Rescuers celebrate first birthday of 'quake babies'

Yao Rong, the former political commissar of the General Hospital of the Chengdu Military Region of the PLA, holds Cheng Aijun, one of the three "quake babies" that Yao and his medical team helped to deliver in the aftermath of last year's Lushan earthquake. The magnitude-7 quake, which happened on April 20, 2013, left more than 200 people dead and thousands injured.

The team organized the evacuation of two pregnant women - Ran Xiaoli and Bian Mengdi - who were airlifted by helicopter to a hospital. And the team members helped a woman named Yang Yan who gave birth in a temporary medical center without obstetric equipment. Each of the women gave birth to a healthy baby.

Yao was the hospital's medical team leader for the quake and was airlifted with his team to the severely affected Taiping township, Lushan, seven hours after the earth shook. He returned with his team to celebrate the first birthday of the three "quake babies", bringing gifts such as a birthday cake, toys, and clothes.[Photo provided to China Daily]